Games of Fate
by Sailor Jedi Witch
Summary: After Li-kun leaves for China, emptiness fills his life and Sakura's. But soon, everything will change for the better...or will it be worse..? as our favorite little wolf comes back to find his love once more! S+S! R/r, please! PROLOGUE AND CH 1 ARE IN
1. Prologue

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my newest CCS fic, GAMES OF FATE. This is going to be one of my best S+S fics ever!!! I can't wait to get this going! Anyway, this part, the prologue, takes place when Li leaves (and the fashion with which he leaves won't be exactly according to the show, obviously, or it wouldn't be a fanfic), but the rest of it, in all the further chapters (except any flashbacks, duh,) they're all 20. Also, the song in this part is by Michelle Branch, and is called "Here With Me." I changed the lyrics only slightly (meaning the parts where it is from the girl's point of view, and changing it to a guy's,) and check it out if you want. And I know the ending sounds super final, but remember, THIS IS ONLY A PROLOGUE, AND I ASSURE YOU THERE WILL BE MORE IF YOU REVIEW ENOUGH!!! So now that you know what's going on, let's go!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own CCS, I don't own the characters, I don't own the songs, and you all know this already, so I don't think I'll bother going on any further. But, I also don't own the song "Here With Me" by Michelle Branch! 

Games of Fate

Prologue

Rated PG, maybe later a PG-13. I'm not sure. But for now, just plain, boring old PG. 

            Li Syaoran packed the last things into his trunk, the lock clicking ominously. It reflected the horridness of the situation, represented the past that he was leaving behind, and locking away with a key. But not only was his past bound tight and put away. So were his friends. His lifestyle. But, the thing that he was paining him most was leaving _her_ behind. 

            Shaking his head lightly to clear his thoughts, he picked up his heavy bag, and strolled out of the bare apartment. Now was no time for doubts, for uneasiness. His path had been laid out before him, and it was his duty as soon-to-be head of the Li clan to follow it dutifully.

            Sighing, Syaoran called a cab, and waited for it to arrive. Fingering the collar of his shirt absentmindedly, he let his mind drift. He began to think of all the things he and _she_ had been through. All the pain and challenges…yet all those moments when they were so close, he could feel her breath upon his body…

            SLAM! A dark, iron door in his mind swung shut immediately, locking away those thoughts so traitorous to his destiny. He couldn't think about those things now. They were in the past, and that was where they would stay. He couldn't be weak and moon over some girl, some specter of the possible future he could have had. He shouldn't have started getting close to them, to _her,_ in the first place. He was Li Syaoran, and he was the future of the Li clan. He knew this now, clearer than ever before, and he should have realized it a long time ago. But done was done, and all that mattered was that he was doing the right thing now.

_It's been a long, long time since I looked into the mirror_

_I guess that I was blind_

_Now my reflection's getting clearer_

_Now that you're gone things will never be the same again._

Wasn't it the right thing?

            All too soon, the cab pulled up to the airport. Pulling out some bills without really paying attention to the numbers on them, he forced a wad into the cab driver's hand. A loud whoop of joy from the shady man told Syaoran that he had paid way too much, but he didn't really care right now. Sacrifices in money weren't relevant in comparison to the much deeper sacrifices he was making now…

            SLAM! The iron door swung shut once more, again locking away memories that would only weaken him and lead him astray from the path that he was destined to follow, without choice of his own, without any questions.

            He made his way towards the gate, and paid no attention to the person in his way. He continued walking briskly forward, sure that the person would move out of his path.

            But their bodies collided, and the person hadn't moved an inch. He raised his eyes, and saw the root of his torment. Kinomoto Sakura. 

            Unbidden, all the memories that had been locked behind the iron door flooded forward, causing such an ache, such a hunger to stay inside him as he spoke her name. 

"Sakura. You shouldn't be here."

"Li-kun, don't go. Stay here, don't you like it?"

            He couldn't answer. Of course he liked it here. He liked it too much. He had changed, and he shouldn't have. He had to go back, for the sake of his destiny and everyone else's.  

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I can't stay. Go, now. Please." He turned, trying to move around her. 

There's not a minute that goes by every hour of every day 

_You're such a part of me_

_But I just pulled away_

_Well, I'm not the same boy that you used to know_

I wish I said the words I never showed 

"Stop! Don't you care anymore? About all of us?" A solitary tear slid down Syaoran's face at these words, knowing the answer, but not being able to say it.

_I know I had to go away_

_I died just a little, and I feel it now_

_You're the one I need_

_I believe that I would cry just a little _

_Just to have you back now _

_Here with me_

Here with me 

"Don't you care about me?" she whispered at Li's silence, a small tear glistening at the corner of her eye, threatening to spill over. The young man's heart screamed in agony at this sight, protesting the silence he again answered with, casting his eyes down. But he feared what would happen if he spoke his true feelings, and acted on what his soul was directing him to do, and didn't do anything at all. 

You know that silence is loud when all you hear is your heart 

_And I wanted so badly just be a part of something strong and true_

But I was scared and left it all behind I know I had to go away 

_I died just a little, and I feel it now_

_You're the one I need_

_I believe that I would cry just a little _

_Just to have you back now _

Here with me Here with me 

            Sakura searched Li's eyes, looking for something, anything, that would give her an answer. But his eyes and face were a cold, hard mask, betraying the thoughts of love, fear and pain that raged through his veins, through every molecule of his flesh. His heart, his every being wanted her to see what he felt so badly, but couldn't express it.

And I'm asking 

_And I'm wanting you to come to me_

Please? 

            Tears spilled down Sakura's face, and he could see all the pain in her face, in her eyes. The pain that he had caused. He couldn't take it, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, and hold her, and kiss her, and whisper nonsense into her ear, and tell her that everything was okay. But he couldn't. He was Li Syaoran. And that was that.

            Or was it?

            "If that's the way it is, then," she murmured, barely audibly, and he got one last agonizing look at her face before she turned away and ran as though possessed, without a sound except for the whimper of pure hurt and lament that escaped her lips as her body was suddenly racked with silent sobs.

I never will forget that look upon your face 

_How you turned away and left without a trace _

_But you have to understand I did what I had to do_

_And I thank you_

_I know I had to go away_

I died just a little, and I feel it now 

_You're the one I need_

_I believe that I would cry just a little_

_Just to have you back now_

_Here with me_

Here with me 

And she was gone forever.


	2. Died Just A Little

Hi people, welcome to the first chapter of GAMES OF FATE! The intro is going to be super short because I have little to say, and I really want to finish this really soon, so…just one thing…I'm using plenty of big words, and if you don't know what they mean…well, that's what a dictionary is for! Okay? Okay! On with the show!

DISCLAIMER: If you think I own CCS, you belong in a pretty pink strait jacket.

Games of Fate

Chapter One: Died Just A Little

Rated PG-13 out of caution; language, a bit of dark themes

~*~*~

            Li Syaoran stood on the balcony of one of the many rooms in the Li mansion. It had been ten long, agonizing years since that fateful day, the day he had lost everything that had ever made him feel at all human. And he had waited patiently for his deliverance, silent fury, pain, and such other vile emotions simmering ever so slowly beneath that cool, unmoving wall that people called his face. 

            Now, if you define the word face in any common American college-level dictionary, you come up with something a bit like so: _outward appearance; the front or surface._ This was only slightly true of Syaoran's "face;" however, said body part was really a sad kind of parody of the previous definition. 

            However, if you really are intent on finding something a bit more interesting than the obvious, you may scroll down and find several small variations of these things: _assumed appearance; disguise; pretense. _This was more like it! Syaoran's "face," as we commoners may call it for lack of other words, was very much this type of thing. It was a façade, a mask of sorts, hiding the only true emotions he had ever felt from mortal scrutiny.

            Strange isn't it, how any ordinary, moldy, old dictionary can provide such provoking insights into one's soul.            But enough of inspirational peeks into the thoughts and emotions of men. The thing that now, at this present moment, matters most is the man himself. Yes, that's right; the man, Li Syaoran.

            As previously stated, Syaoran had been standing on his balcony, letting a rush of violent thoughts swirl through his mind. He could no longer stand being confined to this house, to the dreary course of events that took place daily. Everything now seemed a bit like the instructions you would find on something like a shampoo bottle: wake up, eat, be tormented by ignorant family members, sleep, and repeat. There was nothing here that interested him, nothing at all. Not even his fiancée, Meiling, could do anything to help the situation. 

            As a matter of fact, Meiling was just another one of the problems. Sure, he loved the girl, but as a cousin, nothing more, nothing less. And besides, she had lost the only thing that had ever made him befriend her in the first place: her ambition, her energy. After so long in this prison of a house, all the life seemed to slowly seep out of her, like water out of a sponge. She probably wouldn't even care if Syaoran left her standing at the altar (not that he would do such a thing anyway,) let alone if he merely left briefly to Tokyo.

            Then that settled it. There was no reason to stay here, none at all. Thus, he would propose his plan to the Council of Elders. And if they didn't like it…well, that was tough noogies for them then. 

~*~*~

"Sakura-chan?" 

"Yes, Tomoyo?"

"Are you…all right?"

"Of course."

            Sakura and Tomoyo were lounging in silence, Sakura hanging upside down from her best friend's huge bed so that her hair nearly brushed the floor, and Tomoyo efficiently editing her last video of Sakura. They had been silent for quite a while, seeing as Sakura said nothing and Tomoyo didn't want to pry. But the emptiness of sound began to unnerve the raven-haired young lady; it was never this quiet when she and Sakura had one of their "Best Friends Nights." 

            Of course, when she had broken the silence and asked her question, she had not believed the answer in the least. She knew Sakura too well and her instincts were too keen to accept such an answer.

            The only problem was, she didn't know exactly what _was_ wrong. 

            She couldn't be worrying about the cards; there hadn't been any threatening magical presences for years. 

            She couldn't be thinking about school; she never worried so much about those things, and besides, she had the best grades in the class next to Naoko and Tomoyo herself. 

            And she couldn't be thinking about Touya; she never really cared too much about his safety when Yukito was with him, which was the present case.

            What in the name of all things holy could it be?

            "Did you know that today has marked ten years since Li-kun left?"

            Oh. That. 

            "Ten years _precisely?_" Tomoyo inquired, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Hai."

"You miss him." Tomoyo replied. It wasn't a question.

"I suppose.… It's…strange…when he's not here. Empty."

"Sakura-chan, I –"

"You can't do anything about it, Tomoyo-chan. Don't feel bad. It's all _my_ fault. _I_ drove him away…"

"You did not!" Tomoyo exclaimed hotly, her blood boiling. How dare that high-and-mighty Li cause such horrible thoughts to enter her Sakura's mind! "If he told you that, then…"

"He didn't tell me that. I just knew. Why else would he have gone? Why else would he stop caring? I wasn't good enough for him, he loves Meiling, and it's all my fault for not being…"

"For not being what? For not being perfect? For not being an angel? Let me tell you something, if you're not perfect, if you're not an angel, hell, no one else is, much less that stupid Meiling!" _Ooh, if I ever get my hands on that little Chinese piece of…_

"Tomoyo…" Sakura whispered, barely audibly, tears running down her cheeks swiftly and silently, eyes never-ending pits of sorrow and pain. 

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Her anger melted like a ball of wax as she saw the look on her best friend's, and only love's, sad face, turning into deep pity for Sakura, and sorrow that she could never do anything to ease the pain. 

"Tomoyo…he broke my heart.… But God I miss him so…"

"Don't worry Sakura, I'm here," the young Daidouji cooed, enveloping her cherry blossom in the warm confines of her arms. "It will all be fine."

            And Sakura, tired and lonely as she was, sobbed until she could sob no more, and fell asleep in the arms of her best friend.

~*~*~

            Syaoran strode briskly down the endless corridor that led to the meeting place of the Council of Elders, his heart accelerating to a thousand beats per second of every step. With every click of his shoes on the shiny hardwood floor, he was one step closer to Sakura. And another…and another…

            Finally, he reached the carved, mahogany double doors that led to the Council Room. Taking a deep breath and pushing them open, he stepped in to face his destiny. 

            "May we help you, Master Li?" the eldest asked, stifling a yawn with his bony, wrinkly fingers.

"Yes. I have a request to make, Elders."

"And that would be?"

"I want to break the engagement with my cousin Meiling, and woo the young Kinomoto girl." He hated referring to his darling Sakura in such a vague, unconcerned manner, but he must give off the illusion of indifference. 

"Ah, Master, we are afraid our answer is no."

"Reason being?"

"Reason being she is not a suitable match for you, and it is very impish of you to think otherwise."

"Ah. I see. So, the Mistress of the Sakura Cards, which, by the way, she created, and who is more powerful than everybody in this room put together, not to mention a descendant of Clow Reed, is not a suitable match. Of course! Oh yes, and it must be very impish of me to pursue my one soul mate, very uncivilized indeed." If you couldn't notice, this was all said in quite a sarcastic manner. 

"Master Li, you don't understand…"

"Don't 'Master Li' me! It is you, my friends, who do not understand!" At this, Syaoran pulled out his sword, and aimed it in a way that would allow his to perform some dangerous magic. "You _will not_ stop me from doing this."

"It is forbidden! You won't go to Tokyo, and that is final!"

"Forbidden! I no longer know of such pathetic boundaries! I am Li Syaoran, future head of the Li clan, and by the powers of everything sacred, you WILL NOT STOP ME!"

            And in a burst of magical flames emitted from his sword, Syaoran stalked out of the room, already going over preparations in his head.

            And at that moment, he vowed that he would once again find the girl…no, the woman…to whom every part of his being, from his heart to his soul, belonged. 


End file.
